'Abducted' child bride 'begged to return to Pakistan'

A schoolgirl at the centre of an investigation into her possible abduction went to Pakistan of her own free will, a family friend claimed today.

Molly Campbell, 12, disappeared on Friday when she flew from the Western Isles to Glasgow and on to Lahore.

A police investigation was launched amid fears she may have been abducted and taken to Pakistan by her father.

Yesterday her mother Louise Campbell, 38, who has legal custody of the child after her 2001 divorce, made an emotional appeal for Molly's return.

But Bashir Maan, a family friend and president of the National Association of British Pakistanis, said Molly had begged to be taken back to Pakistan.

Former Glasgow councillor Mr Maan, who has known Molly's father Sajad Ahmed Rana since the 1980s when he developed properties in the city, described suggestions she was taken to Pakistan against her will for an arranged marriage as "total rubbish".

"He is the kind of father who has let his older children marry according to their own wishes," he said.

"Molly didn't like to stay with her mother. She wanted to stay with her sister, brothers and father. They are all together now in Pakistan."

Northern Constabulary suspect that Molly, who is also known as Misbah Iram Ahmed Rana, was picked up by her 18-year-old sister on Friday morning before the pair flew to Glasgow from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

They then flew to Lahore with their father, who had visited Lewis the previous day before travelling to Glasgow.

Mr Maan claimed Molly was unhappy in Stornoway and living with her mother.

He added: "I know the girl had been trying to send e-mails and texts to her brothers and sister and father, pleading with them to take her away."

He said that Molly had since contacted police, her teacher and her mother to say that she wanted to remain in Pakistan.

Police confirmed a phone call from a person believed to be Molly had been made to Stornoway police station on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Maan went on: "The father went to see Molly about two months ago. He went to the school where she was because he dared not go to the house.

"He saw her and she started crying and wanted to go with him. He told her that he couldn't because he would be breaking the law.

"He left her there but told her he was trying to get access through the court and said the family would come regularly to see her.

"But on Thursday Molly's sister and father went to the school and Molly was clinging to them saying 'please don't leave me here'.

"The girl has phoned the police, phoned her mother and her teacher to say she has left of her own free will. No one has abducted her, no one has forced her. That's the true story."